Claw grabhook



W. SPANN CLAW GRABHOOK Jan. 1o, 1950 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filled Feb. lO, 1947 lure/1to1 Woodard Spann 9 o nu ,i

' v Attorney;-

l Jan. 10, 1950 Filed Feb. l0, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 42 c Ma Fag. 5.Y

I uref/tor Woodard Spann w. sPANN v 2,494,010 l CLAW GRABHOOK Patented Jan. 10, 1950 E15 Q, 2;494,01`T

CLAW, GRABHQQK; Woodard" Spann, Gunnison, ,'Colo.

implication4v Eebruary:4 10, 194273 .Senialtlzoegz Y This, invention.v comprises6k novel and.. useful im.- provementsf of a claw grabv hook, and` more. spe: cificallyv pertains, to.. a novell constructionandv operating. means for'- ai grab. hook` off thetype employedion movngrlhaybr. other. bulky substances.

The principal, objects ofz this invention reside in` providing. a. novel, constructionA of a .grab hook inprpyiding improvedperating means therefor; in ,proyidingu as. a component. part oi the operating means, a constructionloperable to positively and securely sink a hook into a, massof materalltD-be lifted. thereby; inproviding an operating, mechanism selectively operable. tovv open and, closetliejawsofthe hooklif.t.the1same andv cause A the` jaws tdrelease their load as, desired; and,

withal Ytnproyide aldevice Which,-is .extremelysim?.

ple. in. constructiom durable and dependab1e,in, operation, readily, constructed of Widely avail-Vf able inexpensive, materials.. and which. is highlyefcacious for they purposes. intended.

These, together with various` ancillaryI objects of; the, invention., which, will later, become appar-A ent, asl the follow-ing' descriptiont proceeds, arefattained. by this device, oneVA embodiment of which has, been illustrated by way of' example only in,y

the accompanying,drawingswhereinf:

FigureL 1- is. a. top, planv View. ofr thef claw grab:

hook;Y

Figure Zlis a-side-.eleyational view ofithe grabL hook, ,showninthefopen position-iin fullv lines" and?y Eiguretdsnnemerged?fragmentaryfdetail View`- takenl in;A vertical; section.y through; oneA of? the jaw operating means.

Referring now; more, specifically to the` accompanying; drawings, wherein like numerals indicate similar.' partsthroughout': the various views, I0,Y designates a support bar which is shown at'- tached` as by ahook andeye connection to a hook lirtin'gj:meansx lf2 which may suitably-l be formed'.

offl a-cablea attached to awinch or' other operati'ngl means; Whether` carriedl byav tractor orby a' sup:

porting' frame; not'A shown. Atv its lou/fer` end,V the, supporibar'whiclrmaybeconveniently formed of, "f f line '5-5" Zfi reetangulem` crossx sectiom, as; indicated? im Eigum his. connected; asrbyeasingleepivotpin: lgbawdtht the:v outerf terminali; of:y members; l-Eff Whose;l othenr;

extremities are;Y rigidly connected to-ftfhef. tops otf f rectangular law frameI members; HE Asawillr-be? of;A the: supporti, rod'Y or: barA |01 at theY lower' end@l thereofby'tltefs-ingie pivot?- pin M. 'IlliaarrangeL ment* suciif that.: when the Weight ottlie` jaws@ and.1 theiry contents is. supported by`A the cable Mi' aridi support.: bar Ht, the jaws: will pivot* clown-fr wardlyr to; the 1 dotted#A line positioni shownirr Fig@ une;v 2 ,g theyteeth".y ontines 2l)`A depending downwardllyA therefrom? beingfenmeshed in'A thee mass-v off ma'- terialfwitin whichthef jawsfarefengaged f As shown; more clearlyr in" Figure 4i., eachfi j wf is: providedi with: two rows`L of'teeth; althougit':

willv be evident that tnisnumber-may Ybe varied'. as," desired? t'osuit' tlie exigenci'es` of particular,l en: vironmentsand situations-` The., t'eetlriY are. PrefieralcilyA or av resilient or' spring` natura, and, fmt:- this purpose` may' eachn consistofl a. Single; piece. of' spring wire; or atspning steel;i on with; aleen orA tight portion, 22?. intermediate, theiuv ends. which biglit portion constitutes al. coil springt tm give resiliency tbv thetootli. 'llhe,downwardlyiextendingr extremity, 0L each. tooth; may be curvedt slightlyl towarditne other. jaw., while thefother; extremity, may extend.laterallyl throughxthefangleg iron. f iame, memberof.; thea jaw; frame: we, andi adiilstablxy attached; thereto as. b5@ threaded' gagementandlfasteninginutslk Attention., isY new directed1morea sneoicallyef to Figures, 2, and; 6" fon an, understanding; oft the'zjawf-.f operatingy means;4 Ae crossy frame-v Mi;v indicated generally inlEigure. 2,; isil composed: ofi? ai painl ofig parallel, angle. iron,A orll cross: bans 28; suitably. ata.

1321011911:tofthezsupportbttkpirr.andjounnallingsbew-- tweem their oppositeestremitiesi aipainofapulleyse Preferably the cross fretmeais:rigidly:arttlascliedito that SuRDoIt-i hai pim, althmlgh mayr be pivoted there@ as desired end-r tries. paranerf infremioers. 2&5 formmgsaepamt: off the crossr framefare rigidlyseL adjustable nut 38, is attached as by an eye 40,

with an end 42 which constitutes one of a pair of split or bifurcated ends of a jaw-operating cable means 44. As shown in Figure 2, the ends 42 Vare entrained over the pulleys 3D where they are guided, extend downwardly between the parallel members 28 of the cross frame and have their lower ends attached to the weights 36.

The operation of the device is as follows. When itis desired to grasp a load of material with thel hook, the lifting cable I2 is released, and the hook is supported solely from the jaw-operating cable 44.Vv When in this position, the weight of the jaw assembly will be supported by the bifurcated cable members 42, and the weights 36 which will be at the upper end of their guide rods in engagement with the nuts 38, whereby the weights will supportthe jaws through the guide rods 32, the jaws being in their widely open position, as shown in full lines in Figure 2. The jaws are lowered, in their widely open position, until they contact with and rest upon the mass of material to be engaged. As'the jaw-operating cable 44 is still further lowered, the weights 36 will slide down the guide rods 32 until they rest upon the jaw frame members I8 in the Vpositions shown in Figures 2 and 6. It will now be apparent that if further penetration of the jaw teeth 20 into the mass of the material is desired, the cable 44 may be raised slightly and lowered, thus causing the weights 36 to'rise and fall and produce a hammering effect upon the upper surfaces of the jaws which will serve to drive and embed the teeth 20 into the mass of material. It ispreferably intended that the teeth shall generally assume the position shown in dotted lines in Figure .2. Now the jaw-operating cable 44 is released and the lifting means I2 is employed. As the bar I is raised, the entire weight of the jaws tends to swing the latter downwardly about their common pivot point I4, whereby the weight of the jaws, andthe weight of the material impaled by the teeth 2.0 serve to further bias the jaws toward each other to firmly grip and retain the mass of material therebetween. As long as the entire load is suspendedA by the lifting cable from the common pivot point of the jaws, the latter will remain locked. When now the jaws and their load have been moved to the desired position, and it is intended to release the jaws, the jaw-operating cab1e'44 is placed under tension, and the cable I2 the same, vfrom a single set .of controls and by av single operator of the device.'

`it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described in the drawings and specification, but allsuitable modi- 4 fications may be resorted to falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a pair of jaws, a support bar pivoted to said jaws and attached to a lifting means, a cross frame carried by said support bar, a jaw-operating means associated with said cross frame and connected with a lost motion connection to saidjaws, said cross frame having arms overhanging said jaws, guide means on said arms for receiving said jaw-operating means, a guide carried by each jaw, a weight slidably engaging each guide for limited movement thereon, said jaw-operating means being connected to said weights.

2. In combination, a pair of jaws, a support bar pivoted to said jaws and attached to a lifting means, a cross frame carried by said support bar, a jaw-operating means associated with saidcross frame and connected with a lost motion connection to said jaws, saidfcross frame having arms overhanging said jaws, guide means on said arms for receiving said jaw-operating means, a guide carried by each jaw, a weight slidably engaging each guide for limited movement thereon, said jaw-operating means being con-v nected to said weights, said guide comprising a rod, said weight comprising a sleeve slidable on,

said rod and means on said rod limiting the movement of said Weight.

3. In combination, a pair of jaws, a'support bar pivoted to said jaws and attached to a lifting means, a cross frame carried by said support bar, a jaw operating means associated with said cross frame and connected with a lost motion connection to said jaws, guides extending from each jaw, means slidably mounted for limited travel on said guides and actuated by said jaw operating means for raising and lowering the jaws in an extended open position. A V

4. In combination, a pair of jaws, a support bar pivoted to said jaws by a common pivot at one end and attached to a lifting means at the other end, a cross frame carried by said support bar, a jaw operating means controlled by said cross frame and connectedto said jaws, guides bar pivoted to said jaws by a common pivot at one end and attached to a lifting meansat the other end, a cross frame carried by said support bar, a jaw operating means controlled by said cross frame and connected to said jaws, guides extending from each jaw, means slidably mounted on said guides and actuated by said loperating means for imparting a drivingforce tosaid jaws.

6. In combination, a pair of jaws, a support bar attached to said jaws at one endand to a 4lifting means at the other end, a-'cross frame carried by said support bar, a jaw operating means controlled by said'cross frame and connected to said jaws, guidesY extending from each jaw, weights slid-ably mounted on said guides and actuated by said operating means for selectively raising and lowering the jaws in a substantiallyg horizontal position, stop means on saidguides, for r limiting the movement of saidweights, and means commonlyY secured to said jaws and support bar for effecting simultaneous closing move- 5 6 ment of the jaws responsive to a predetermined UNITED STATES PATENTS placement of said Weights on the guides.

WOODARD SPANN Number Name Date 165,989 Edwards July 27, 1875 REFERENCES CITED 5 1,031,270 Jones July 2, 1912 The following references are of record in the 1167785 Searcy et al' Jan' 11 1916 me of this pantenm 1,831,573 Munn NOV. 10, 1931 

